Collapsible storage system

ABSTRACT

A collapsible storage chest is formed to receive a number of collapsible storage boxes, or drawers. The chest and boxes or drawers are capable of being collapsed to a substantially flat configuration to enable the efficient packaging, shipping, warehousing, distribution and reconstitution of them.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/663,558 entitled “Collapsible Storage System” and currently co-pending.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to storage systems. In particular, it relates to a storage system of a chest and drawers. More specifically, though not exclusively, this invention relates to collapsible storage systems having the ability to be flattened for shipment, and reconfigured into a rigid storage container for use.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Chests and drawers for storage have existed for many years and in many forms. One problem with traditional chests and drawers is that if they are not in use for a time they merely occupy space that could be used for other purposes. Therefore, there is a need for a chest and drawers that would occupy little space when not in use.

The need for a storage system that can be efficiently transported is becoming more and more apparent as the economy becomes more global, and the cost of transporting goods increases with the ever-soaring costs of fossil fuels. As a result if these fossil fuel costs, the price of products transported becomes largely dependent on the distance the product is transported, the location of the manufacturing, the location of the retail sales, and the method of transportation. In some cases, the transportation costs of a product could contribute more than twenty five percent (25%) of the retail price.

In light of the above, it would be advantageous to provide products which can be easily shipped in the smallest volume as possible. More specifically, since freight is often shipped in containers, the minimization of the physical volume of a product is often more critical than the actual weight of the product. Products used for storage are often plagued by the air volume of the containers themselves.

Because there is no advantage to shipping products containing air and wasting valuable cargo space, the present invention was devised to provide a collapsible storage system which can overcome the storage and transport challenges of fixed storage devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a collapsible storage chest that is formed to receive a number of collapsible storage boxes, or drawers. Each of the elements of the present invention is capable of being collapsed to a substantially flat configuration to enable the efficient packaging, shipping, warehousing, and distribution of the invention.

The collapsible containers of the present invention include four side-walls hinged together in the form of a parallelogram which may be positioned into a rectangular configuration; and by folding acutely two opposing hinges, collapsed into a flat configuration.

The hinges may be actual metal pin hinges, may be effective hinges by sewn seams in material-covered side-walls, or may be formed by spaces between the rigid portions of the side-walls. The bottom panel of the container is a pliable material which may be separated along a diagonal between diagonally separated hinges, and flexible enough to allow the collapse of the container an opposite diagonal direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the small collapsible storage container;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the small collapsible storage container;

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the small collapsible storage container;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the small collapsible storage container;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the small collapsible storage container;

FIG. 6 is a back view of the small collapsible storage container;

FIG. 7 is a right-side view of the small collapsible storage container;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the small collapsible storage container shown in a semi-collapsed configuration;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the collapsible storage chest of the present invention having three collapsible storage boxes installed with one removed for clarity; and

FIG. 10 is a front view of the collapsible storage chest showing the diagonal zipper along the back panel to allow for the collapsing of the storage chest to a substantially flat configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a top perspective view of the collapsible storage container is shown and designated 100. Container 100 includes a back 102, a right side 104, and left side 106, a front 108 formed with a handle slot 110, and having bottom panels 112 and 114 attached together with a zipper 116.

As shown in this configuration, the sides are attached together to form a hinge. Specifically, sides 102 and 106 are attached with hinge 124, sides 102 and 104 are attached with hinge 122, sides 104 and 108 are attached with hinge 128, and sides 108 and 106 are attached with hinge 126. These hinges allow the angles between the sides to vary from ninety degrees to facilitate the collapsing of the storage container as shown and discussed in conjunction with FIG. 8 below.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the collapsible storage container and shows the bottom panels 112 and 114 attachable together with a zipper 116 having a zipper slide 118. It is to be appreciated that the zipper 116 is shown in its usable configuration with the two bottom portions zipped together to make the bottom panel sufficiently rigid to maintain the sides 102, 104, 106 and 108 in a substantially rectangular form. If the zipper is opened, the storage container may collapse in direction 117 to a substantially flat configuration for easy storage. It may be reconfigured to its usable state by merely re-closing the zipper 116 to re-establish the sides in a rectangular configuration.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the collapsible storage container. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the collapsible storage container showing the orientation of the zipper 116, and a handle 120 used to advance the zipper slide 118 along the zipper 116 to change the configuration of the container. As shown in this Figure, the handle 120 is on the bottom of the container, however, it is to be appreciated that the handle may be placed inside the container. Further, although the zipper is shown as a fastener in this preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be appreciated that any variety of fasteners may be used in the present invention without departing from the invention. For instance, Velcro hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, ties, etc., may be used to fasten bottom panels 112 and 114 together.

Referring to FIG. 5, a front view of the collapsible storage container is shown and front side 108 is formed with a cut-out handle 110. It is to be appreciated that other shapes may be used for the handle, such as finger-holes, or a handle may be attached to the front 108 (not shown).

FIG. 6 is a back view, and FIG. 7 is a right side view of the collapsible storage container.

Referring to FIG. 8, a perspective view of the collapsible storage container shown in a semi-collapsed configuration. In order to collapse the storage container, zipper 116 must be opened to allow for the separation of bottom panels 112 and 114. As shown, these panels are flexible enough to allow for the movement of the sides 102, 104, 106 and 108 into a trapezoidal configuration. When fully collapsed, sides 104 and 106 are directly adjacent each other, or separated only by panels 112 and 114. This collapsed configuration provides for the very compact storage of the container in a flat package, readily usable simply by re-orienting the sides into a rectangular position and zipping bottom panels 112 and 114 together.

Referring to FIG. 9, a perspective view of the collapsible storage chest of the present invention is shown and generally designated 200. Storage chest 200 includes a frame 202 and a drawer 204. Chest 200 is formed having a top 206, a bottom 208, a left side 210, and a right side 212. Also shown is a center support 214 extending between left side 210 and right side 212 to support drawers 204.

Frame 202 is formed with hinges 230, 232, 234, and 236 which provide for the collapsing of the frame to a substantially flat configuration. Drawers 220, 222, 224 and 226 are similar to drawer 100 discussed above, and likewise collapsible.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a front view of the collapsible storage chest 200 showing the diagonal zipper 240 having slide 242 separating two back panels 242 and 246. The zipper 240 along the back panel to allows for the collapsing of the storage chest to a substantially flat configuration. Once un-zipped, the frame 202 may collapse in direction 248.

The storage system of the present invention may be made of any material capable of supporting the structure shown herein. No limitation as to the materials is contemplated except that the materials chosen for the sides must be substantially rigid, and the materials chosen for the bottom must be somewhat flexible when in the un-zipped configuration in order to allow for the collapsing of the sides together.

While the particular collapsible storage containers as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims. 

1. A collapsible storage system comprising: at least one container comprising a plurality of container sides attached together to form container hinges, substantially in the form of a parallelogram, said container sides variable in angle with respect to each other; a plurality of container panels, attached to said container sides, said container panels sufficiently flexible to allow said container sides to vary in angle with respect to each other; a container fastener, whereby said container panels can be fastened together and unfastened, wherein said container sides substantially form a rectangle when said container panels are fastened together, and wherein said container can collapse to a substantially flat configuration when said container panels are unfastened.
 2. A collapsible storage system as in claim 1, wherein: said container fastener comprises a container zipper.
 3. A collapsible storage system as in claim 1, wherein: said container sides comprise a back container side, a right container side, a left container side, and a front container side.
 4. A collapsible storage system as in claim 1, further comprising: a handle.
 5. A collapsible storage system as in claim 4, wherein: said handle comprises a slot formed in at least one of said container sides.
 6. A collapsible storage system as in claim 1, further comprising: a chest comprising a plurality of chest sides attached together to form chest hinges, substantially in the form of a parallelogram, said chest sides variable in angle with respect to each other; a plurality of chest panels, attached to said chest sides, said chest panels sufficiently flexible to allow said chest sides to vary in angle with respect to each other; a chest fastener, whereby said chest panels can be fastened together and unfastened, wherein said chest sides substantially form a rectangle when said chest panels are fastened together, wherein said chest can collapse to a substantially flat configuration when said chest panels are unfastened; and wherein said at least one container is receivable in said chest.
 7. A collapsible storage system as in claim 6, wherein: said chest fastener comprises a chest zipper.
 8. A collapsible storage system as in claim 6, further comprising: a chest support, having a plurality of chest support sides, extending between two of said chest sides, substantially parallel to at least one other of said chest sides, and able to support said at least one container.
 9. A collapsible storage system as in claim 8, wherein: at least one of said at least one container is receivable adjacent one of said chest support sides, and at least one of said at least one container is receivable adjacent another of said chest support sides.
 10. A collapsible storage container, comprising: four planar side-walls, said side walls joined together at each end to another side-wall by a hinge, said side walls configurable from a rectangle to a parallelogram; a two piece bottom attached to a side of each said side-wall and having a fastener extending from diagonal hinges and configurable from a first configuration wherein said fastener is fastened and said bottom forms a rectangle retaining said sidewalls in a rectangular configuration, and a second configuration wherein said fastener is un-fastened and said bottom forms two separated triangles wherein said side-walls are collapsible into a parallelogram. 